There is so much relationship drama out there! Who is sleeping with who and who is cheating on who? Sometimes I want to just lay in bed and open my laptop and watch a happy couple be happy, no drama. When I do, I have my show rotations locked and loaded. Here are my five favorite couples from that rotation!
Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)
I love Parks and Recreation more than anything, and I always come back to it when I need my fix of feel-good laughs and love. While I could have easily put Donna and Joe or Andy and April, Ben and Leslie’s struggles will always make them feel real. From having to break up to save their jobs to Ben ending up resigning to allow Leslie to run for city council, these two never seem to find a way to make you feel every part. Ben’s commitment and devotion to Leslie and Leslie’s love and belief in Ben are one of the major highlights of the show. You never doubt for a moment their love is unbreakable, and even after breaking up, it is clear the pair will end up finding their way back to each other.
My favorite moment of the two is before they even begin to date. Leslie is creating a dating profile that asks her for her favorite place. Ann, who is Leslie’s best friend, questions her about it being a bench in front of a wildflower painting. At the end of the episode, the pair go off to spitball ideas, and Ben suggests sitting in front of said painting. The viewer sees the happiest look on Leslie’s face as she stares at Ben. Before the final joke scene of the episode, the viewer ends the episode looking at them eating and talking on this bench together. The world passes them, but they are just in their own little world.
With them, it’s the little things, like a Knope button or Yachtter Otter or pretending to understand the Lil’ Sebastian craze. They find moments to love and cheer each other on when the world seems otherwise.
Korra and Asami Sato (Legends of Korra)
Now, before you say it, I realize that they did not officially start dating within the series run until maybe the last episode. But this is my list, and because there is cannon content in the comics, I am counting them. But for the sake of this article, I will limit to their moments in the show. As a bisexual myself, seeing them on screen and being a confirmed couple is huge. The way it was just thrown in at the end and not a massive deal felt like a relief. There was no big coming out moment. It was just these two women who loved each other, and it was just that. Some people may have seen this as fan service for fans who wanted queer people, but throughout the show, there were always hints that these two shared romantic feelings for each other.
Besides the portal scene, there are moments sprinkled in, like Korra only writing to Asami in the three years she was in psychical therapy at the Southern Water Tribe. One of the biggest hints in my mind is at the end of the third season, where Asami is getting Korra ready for an Air Nomad tattoo ceremony. Asami is trying to reassure Korra and grabs her hand. The camera rests on their hands for a moment before a cut to Asami looking up at Korra with real worry. The scene is intimate between the both of them, implying Korra only wanted Asami’s help in getting ready. Asami is there to support her and be there for her in her lowest and try to cheer her up as much as possible. Korra acknowledges this connection in her letters to Asami, saying it was just easier when talking to her.
In the show, it was never a big deal and was a slow burn with the cliche hand-holding and innocent praises. It is a slow burn a young bisexual teen could relate to in finding my first same-sex relationship. It was some of the first real bi representation and they did not fail.
Bandit Heeler and Chilli Heeler (Bluey)
Am I a full-grown adult watching a kids’ show? Yes. Do I feel shame for it? No. The parents of the titular character, Bandit and Chilli Heeler, are loved widely by the fan base. They are weirdly real for a couple of animated dogs. They are exhausted, happily married parents who work to give each other good lives while backing each other up on the parenting front. Every moment with them is never dull, and they are the masters of matching energies. If one is going to pretend to be a peacock for the kids, the other will be a lion. If one is going to dance on a crosswalk to help Bingo feel better, the other will dance in a store.
But beyond that, we see a next-level communication between the two. They recognize when conversations need to happen and when conversations need to happen privately. In “Bin Night,” Bandit is getting information on Bingo’s complicated relationship with a classmate named Banjo. Bingo tells Bandit about Banjo name-calling her and making fun of her hands at school, and in private, Bandit tells this to Chilli. Chilli then tells Bingo that she is tough, and she rises above her bully to befriend them. They know what needs to be said in front of their kids and the times that things need to be between them.
There are many things that signify a good communication style, but knowing when to table things for private time is a good one. They don’t even question it. They just know when it is time to loop the other in.
Bob Belcher and Linda Belcher (Bob’s Burgers)
The girl who wrote about Tina Belcher is now writing about her parents? Wow, who would have guessed? These two are the definition of opposites attract, with Linda being a musical extrovert and Bob being an introverted nerd. And I have to say it, we have a bisexual man in a happy married relationship whose sexuality is not a source of antagonism. Only Bob’s Burgers can make it so natural. The two might not have much in assets, but they make the most of it and work hard to give each other everything they deserve.
One of the best episodes that capture their relationship in its sweetness is “The Ring (But Not Scary).” It turns out that Bob never bought Linda a wedding ring due to the rough finances, so as a gift for their anniversary, he saved up to get her one. It was nothing spectacular, but to him, it was everything. When the kids lose it, they break into a water park to find it. Unfortunately, they aren’t able to find it, and Bob is extremely upset. Linda reassures Bob that she still loves him as they float down the lazy river together. The ring ends up becoming a part of a bird’s nest outside on their restaurant sign. Not too far away from the family. The two don’t need fancy things, as long as the two have each other, they will be fine. Linda doesn’t need the ring because she has Bob and the kids.
They truly are the definition of “unconditional love.” They would love each other through the worst and the best. They don’t need anything but each other’s presence to be happy with life.
Ben Warren and Miranda Bailey (Grey’s Anatomy)
Most of the relationships on Grey’s Anatomy end in death or cheating, except one, Bailey and Ben. These two met when Ben was working in anesthesiology and began a romance, breaking up after a traumatic event for Bailey. They ended up getting back together, and in season nine, tied the knot. Ben stepped up and became a stepdad to Bailey’s first kid and adopted two more kids throughout the course of the series. These two have stuck it out, and Ben goes above and beyond to make sure Bailey feels good. He has given her the best life that he can and works hard to make sure everything he does doesn’t cause her harm. He came at a time when Bailey really needed it.
Bailey went through a messy divorce that ended because her ex-husband wanted her to choose between her career and him. It is also stated in a later episode off-handedly that he may have also cheated on her. When Ben joins her life, she is confused and worried about dating and she fears letting someone in. Ben allows her to take her time and go at a pace that makes her comfortable. When she needs to leave town, he accepts that he has to lose her for her to heal. He is the first person to understand her and knows the realities of dating a surgeon. He preps a fancy dinner in the hospital for her, knowing she won’t be able to make a reservation. Ben sticks with her and stands by her side. Anyone who hurts her gets to meet angry Ben, and it is just so wholesome to watch.
They are growing their family by adding in an orphan and a kid who was failed by the system. This couple is probably the couple that has been together the longest and stayed together, and it is because everyone loves them. If the writers ever broke them up, all the fans would riot. I guess that goes for everyone on the list though.